Your Daily Sweets: What are you making and baking? (2012–2014)

[Franci]

Petit beurre for the children. I regret not buying the cutter when we were still living in Monaco.

[emmalish]

Another update of things I've been baking since before Christmas. I'm going to try to post these more often – I had no idea it'd been so long!

So, as part of my Christmas baking, I made these walnut shortbread. They're a really nice cookie, but look nothing like the photo in the book.

Also part of my Christmas baking were these jam thumbprints from the Gourmet Cookie book.

I took a break from baking after this and didn't make anything until mid-January when I made these chocolate cranberry spice cookies. My coworkers all liked them, but I think I was expecting more of a punch of flavour from these cookies. I think they'd be better with dark chocolate instead of the white.

Next up were these brown sugar pecan cookies. Now THIS is a good cookie. And dead simple to make. I gave the recipe to one of my coworkers and she made some with chocolate chips added. Even better!

Then I made these chewy chocolate gingerbread cookies from Martha Stewart. These are usually part of my Christmas baking every year, but because I'm trying to make new recipes, these got bumped. I was getting so many requests that I had to make them, though. This is one of my all-time favourite cookie recipes.

Then I made some milk chocolate orange cookies, which is a variation on a recipe I've made a couple times before, always with good results.

Then, because we were into February, I had to make some heart cookies. I tried a new sugar cookie recipe for these and was really happy with the way they turned out. They held their shape beautifully and had a nice soft, tender texture.

Still in the heart theme, I had to try out my new linzer cookie cutters (I get way too excited about new cookie cutters). You can see I went a little overboard with the jam (oops).

[Kim Shook]

emmalish - beautiful cookies! Especially the Valentine's heart cookies. I've been on a quest to find a sugar cooky that will hold it's edges when cooked and these sound perfect. I've printed the recipe and can't wait to try them. Your decoration is lovely, too!

[Matthew Kirshner]

Another update of things I've been baking since before Christmas. I'm going to try to post these more often – I had no idea it'd been so long!

So, as part of my Christmas baking, I made these walnut shortbread. They're a really nice cookie, but look nothing like the photo in the book.

walnut-shortbread-eG-6727.jpg

Also part of my Christmas baking were these jam thumbprints from the Gourmet Cookie book.

jam-thumbprint-cookies-eG-6765.jpg

I took a break from baking after this and didn't make anything until mid-January when I made these chocolate cranberry spice cookies. My coworkers all liked them, but I think I was expecting more of a punch of flavour from these cookies. I think they'd be better with dark chocolate instead of the white.

chocolate-cranberry-spice-cookies-eG-6868.jpg

Next up were these brown sugar pecan cookies. Now THIS is a good cookie. And dead simple to make. I gave the recipe to one of my coworkers and she made some with chocolate chips added. Even better!

brown-sugar-pecan-cookies-eG-6847.jpg

Then I made these chewy chocolate gingerbread cookies from Martha Stewart. These are usually part of my Christmas baking every year, but because I'm trying to make new recipes, these got bumped. I was getting so many requests that I had to make them, though. This is one of my all-time favourite cookie recipes.

chocolate-ginger-cookies-eG-6910.jpg

Then I made some milk chocolate orange cookies, which is a variation on a recipe I've made a couple times before, always with good results.

milk-chocolate-orange-cookies-eG-6995.jpg

Then, because we were into February, I had to make some heart cookies. I tried a new sugar cookie recipe for these and was really happy with the way they turned out. They held their shape beautifully and had a nice soft, tender texture.

soft-sugar-cookies-eG-7026.jpg

Still in the heart theme, I had to try out my new linzer cookie cutters (I get way too excited about new cookie cutters). You can see I went a little overboard with the jam (oops).

linzer-cookies-eG-7111.jpg

Emmalish, those are some beautiful pictures, not to mention the treats look amazing!!

[rajoress]

Gorgeous cookies!

[emmalish]

Thanks you guys! Kim, I'm always looking for good cookie cutter recipes too - this sugar cookie one is definitely a good one. I have a crunchy recipe that also holds its shape, but I like the texture of this one better.

[Kim Shook]

Thanks you guys! Kim, I'm always looking for good cookie cutter recipes too - this sugar cookie one is definitely a good one. I have a crunchy recipe that also holds its shape, but I like the texture of this one better.

I'd love to have the crunchy one, too, please ma'am!

[emmalish]

Thanks you guys! Kim, I'm always looking for good cookie cutter recipes too - this sugar cookie one is definitely a good one. I have a crunchy recipe that also holds its shape, but I like the texture of this one better.

I'd love to have the crunchy one, too, please ma'am!

For you? The world...

http://wannacomewith.com/2013/11/crunchy-sugar-cookies/

[Anna N]

Fudgy brownies.

[chopperreed]

osmanthus and berry pannacotta and mixed flavoured macarons i made as a gift including the box. =)

[DianaM]

Cranberry muffins, gluten- and dairy-free. I should have filled the liners more, and I did have some batter left over. But they were pretty tasty anyway.

[emmalish]

Cookies from the last couple of weeks:

 

First I made these Cinnamon Bun Cookies from the CIA Cookies at Home cookbook. I've only made 2 recipes from this book so far and I've loved them both. This cookie actually has a glaze on top, but I like the way they look pre-glaze better, when you can see how the cinnamon layer bubbles up in the oven. I've gotten a LOT of requests to make this one again.

 

 

 

And then I made Flo's Chocolate Snaps from David Lebovitz's Ready for Dessert. I saw FrogPrincesse had posted in the thread dedicated to this book that she'd made these cookies and they didn't turn out "snappy" at all. Same here. They were actually quite soft and tender. But amazing flavour. Very chocolate-y! So I'm not really complaining.

 

[cakewalk]

I made those chocolate snaps during Christmas, and they were the "sleeper" hits of all the cookies. They do need to be baked a minute or two past the time you think they're ready in order to get that snap. It's hard to tell with chocolate. My first batch wasn't "snappy." I thought they weren't so good the day they were made, they were just sort of "meh." But the next day they were unbelievable -- snappy with a very deep chocolate flavor. They were the first cookies to vanish. (But I have to say, yours are much nicer looking than mine were!)

[emmalish]

I made those chocolate snaps during Christmas, and they were the "sleeper" hits of all the cookies. They do need to be baked a minute or two past the time you think they're ready in order to get that snap. It's hard to tell with chocolate. My first batch wasn't "snappy." I thought they weren't so good the day they were made, they were just sort of "meh." But the next day they were unbelievable -- snappy with a very deep chocolate flavor. They were the first cookies to vanish. (But I have to say, yours are much nicer looking than mine were!)

 

Good to know! Did yours spread out at all, or hold their shape like mine did? And did you slice yours the 1/2" thick like the recipe states? I found that if I sliced 1/4", they turned out snappier. But I ended up slicing them a bit thicker than that. Sorry for the barrage of questions :-)

 

And I agree about the deep flavour. With flavour like this? I don't really care what the texture is.

[cakewalk]

Good to know! Did yours spread out at all, or hold their shape like mine did? And did you slice yours the 1/2" thick like the recipe states? I found that if I sliced 1/4", they turned out snappier. But I ended up slicing them a bit thicker than that. Sorry for the barrage of questions :-)

 

And I agree about the deep flavour. With flavour like this? I don't really care what the texture is.

I don't remember them spreading at all, they just sort of hung out in the oven without much of a reaction (which always makes me nervous). I sliced them around 1/4" -- for me 1/2" is too thick, I'll even change shortbread and biscotti recipes that call for 1/2" cookies. (I like thin and crisp, I try to rework recipes so I can roll the dough to 1/8".) I remember that this recipe made a ton of cookies, I think I had four logs of cookie dough in the freezer. I think I need to mix up another batch.

[emmalish]

I don't remember them spreading at all, they just sort of hung out in the oven without much of a reaction (which always makes me nervous). I sliced them around 1/4" -- for me 1/2" is too thick, I'll even change shortbread and biscotti recipes that call for 1/2" cookies. (I like thin and crisp, I try to rework recipes so I can roll the dough to 1/8".) I remember that this recipe made a ton of cookies, I think I had four logs of cookie dough in the freezer. I think I need to mix up another batch.

 

I think we're cookie soul-mates… 

 

Thanks for that update. I'm going to make an edit to my blog post with this info. :-)

[Kim Shook]

emmalish – thanks for the recipe link!  And then you post two more cookies that look and sound so incredibly good.  I’m printing out those recipes (and cakewalk’s notes) now!

Edited March 5, 2014 by Kim Shook (log)

[DianaM]

Just a genoise baked in a pretty mould.

[rotuts]

that looks so delicious

 

its asking for some heavy whipped cream

[Max101]

image.jpg

Fudgy brownies.

Those look delicious.  I have been craving a huge brownie full of nuts and with frosting.

[Kim Shook]

I did a recipe test today for a possible Mother’s day dessert.  I tried a recipe for an embellished angel food cake that I found online.  It was angel food cake with coconut whipped cream and grapefruit syrup.  The whipped cream is made with the solids from a can of coconut milk.  I decided to garnish it with candied grapefruit peel.  Finished cake:

The whipped coconut cream didn’t make enough to ice the sides, but I’m kind of liking the look of the un-iced sides.  Grapefruit syrup:

This stuff is delectable.  I could eat it with a spoon.  Slice with syrup drizzled over:

Seriously delicious.  Just the right balance of sweet and bitter.  Definitely going on the Mother’s day menu.

[christinachiu]

 

osmanthus and berry pannacotta and mixed flavoured macarons i made as a gift including the box. =)

 

Hi chopperreed, would you mind telling me where did you get those boxes from? I am planning to give away macarons on my daughter's birthday and I couldn't find a transparent one like yours online! This is my other option though:

image source: packqueen.com.au

 

I am not too sure about it yet but the presentation of your macarons is what I am trying to aim for. My daughter's birthday is a couple of months from now and I hope you can help!!

[emmalish]

Kim, that looks amazing and sounds delicious (citrus & coconut? swoon!). I love the look of the bare sides so you can actually see both the cake and the filling.

[Anna N]

A simple pound cake from Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours. My second attempt at pound cake this week. The other was binned. Kerry Beal helped trouble shoot.

[Anna N]

A simple pound cake from Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours. My second attempt at pound cake this week. The other was binned. Kerry Beal helped trouble shoot.